Considerations for 2024: Eliminating the “Overpromise-Underdeliver" Syndrome”! Part 1.

Even in the pre COVID environment, our industry has always struggled with what I would call the “Overpromise-Underdeliver Syndrome”. This means that in order to get that new sale, we would do anything that we could, say anything and promise anything so that sale could be made. In this situation, after the sale was done, the Sales Rep would move on to the next potential member and totally lose track of what was over promised to that previous, over eager member. The result, we’d get the money in the front end, lose the money in the back end when they quit, create a negative, toxic environment and reduce our ability to grow our businesses because we negatively reduce the Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) potential. ?

Fast Forward—We are entering Q4: 2023. Depending on the size & type of our businesses, we should have either completed our year-to-date 2023 business analysis or we are still working on that analysis. In either case, we should be starting to work on our 2024 business planning assumptions.

This would be a perfect time to review how we stand vis-a-vi the “Overpromise-Underdeliver” Syndrome. If you are not suffering from this Syndrome, GREAT!

This means that you have created a dynamic set of value propositions and a customer-specific onboarding process that facilitates (1) your customer recruitment process; (2) your customer retention process; (3) your customer referral process which has the effect of (4) increasing your Customer Lifetime Value (CLV).

“The creation of a front-end experience that is designed to give the non-customer a reason to join; to give that new customer a reason to stay; and give that new customer a reason, while getting fantastic results that’s blended with a great experience, to share this experience with their friends, their family members and their work colleagues by getting them to join.”

Would you want this to occur in your Club, Studio, &/or your Teaching/Training Environment?

Let’s See What That Would Look Like.

To make this potentially happen, we would like you to consider the following list of business planning options for 2024:

a.???? The creation of a branded, granular set of Value Propositions that reflect the community that you are trying to create;

b.???? The creation of an Emotional Intelligence Continuing Education Program that will have the effect of creating a customer-centric culture throughout your organization or business;

c.???? A rewrite & update of your Fitness Professional Job Descriptions that will (1) repurpose your FitPro T.E.A.M.s to support your new customer-centric focus; (2) support your new Customer On-Boarding Process; and (3) deliver your branded, Omnichannel Programming Options (both live and/or virtual);

d.???? Create &/or upgrade your FitPro-focused continuing education process that will support the 3 items listed in Section (c);

e.???? Depending on your business model, create and deliver a branded set of Omnichannel non-fee based & fee-based programming options that make your branded value propositions (aka your culture) “come-to-life”.

PART 1: Meet The Value Proposition Concept

”Branding pertains to the process of crafting and molding a unique identity for a product, company, or person. This involves the fusion of visual elements, emotional connections, and cultural associations linked with a specific name or persona”. In our business model, we want to add the following qualifier.. “..The granularity elements of our brand must support the demographic profile of our target market”.

In essence, branding is used as a strategy that encompasses every aspect of a company's approach to attracting new customers and retaining existing customers, by being a dynamic, living, breathing & evolving environment that has value, a story, and a customer-centric purpose. This concept can be utilized by Clubs, Studios & Entrepreneurial FitPros. ?

The Chart below represents a Value Proposition Grid for a Club and a Boutique Studio. We’ve taken each brand, that has a specific target-market & a specific set of service offerings, and had the Owners define a list of “granular” reasons why non-customers should join, why customers should stay and why customers should refer their family, friends and colleagues to these facilities.

As you examine this Grid, you will see some similarities and a few differences that are driven by differences in their target markets and their programming focus. That being said, they are both customer-centric in their approach.

In Part 2 on October 3rd, we will look at how we build the connection between the customer-centric culture and the Omnichannel Programing Options that are delivered by repurposed & customer-centric Fitness Professionals.

Bob Esquerre, MA, NSCA-CPT